‘The Big Issue Has Not Been Choice, But Access:’ Express Scripts’ Miller Explains

By

Ed Silverman

Jan 6, 2015 9:06 am ET

Last month, Express Scripts, the nation’s biggest pharmacy benefits manager, and AbbVie reached an exclusive deal that ushered in a price war for hepatitis C treatments. The drug maker offered an undisclosed discount in hopes of breaking the lock that Gilead Sciences has on the burgeoning market. The PBM, which has railed against Gilead pricing, agreed to offer the AbbVie treatment to patients with the most common form of the virus, a population that constitutes some 70% of those infected in the U.S. The AbbVie regimen, however, can be more cumbersome and some physicians worry about patient compliance. We spoke with Steve Miller, the chief medical officer at Express Scripts, about the move. This is an excerpt.